US special Afghanistan envoy skips India

Khalilzad has always batted for a bigger role for India in Afghanistan and so it is even more surprising that he has decided to give Delhi the miss during his last two visits for consultations.

| ET Bureau | Dec 5, 2018, 14:23 IST

Zalmay Khalilzad will meet Afghan government officials and other interested parties to support and facilitate ... Read More

(This article was originally published by The Economic Times on 05/12/2018.)

NEW DELHI: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in a curious move, twice in as many months, has decided to skip India during his fortnight travel to the region for advancing peace talks in the landlocked country.

While India remains a key stakeholder in Afghanistan and Khalilzad has attended all peace conferences including Geneva talks and Moscow format recently, this is the second time that he will not be visiting India while touring the region.

“Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad will travel to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar with an interagency delegation from December 2-20,” US State Department said in a statement.

Khalilzad has always batted for a bigger role for India in Afghanistan and so it is even more surprising that he has decided to give Delhi the miss during his last two visits for consultations.

Khalilzad will meet Afghan government officials and other interested parties to support and facilitate an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan. “Special Representative Khalilzad will be in communication with President Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah, and other Afghan stakeholders to coordinate closely on efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table with the Afghan government and other Afghans,” according to the State Department.

“On his last trip to the region in November, Special Representative Khalilzad met with men and women active in civil society and peace efforts, members of the media, and other governmental and non-governmental officials. He stressed that all Afghans must have a say in creating a sustainable peace for Afghanistan.

“The United States remains committed to supporting the Afghan people’s desire for peace, and for facilitating a political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban that ensures Afghanistan never serves as a platform for international terrorism again,” according to the State Department statement.

A US state department official, when asked about Khalilzad's visit to India, told ET that the senior diplomat is looking forward to visiting India in January. He will participate in the 2019 Raisina Dialogue and looks forward to consulting with Indian government officials about his mission.

"India is a vital partner in Afghanistan and shares the United States’ goal of a political settlement that will bring an end to the decades-long conflict. India’s financial contributions, totaling more than $3 billion in economic and development assistance since 2001, demonstrate its deep stake in ensuring Afghanistan’s stability. We appreciate India’s participation in the recent Geneva Conference on Afghanistan, where India joined the international donor community in reaffirming support for peace and development in Afghanistan. It is enshrined in the U.S. National Security Strategy that we welcome India’s emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defense partner," the official noted.

“It is important that all such efforts for peace and reconciliation should be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. The Afghan side should have greater responsibility of running and managing its own affairs. International community need to continue to support the people and the government in their efforts so that there can be enduring peace, stability and end of terrorist violence.”

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